Whispers in the Willows
by AnnabethReads
Summary: 6 pounds, 5 ounces. She felt weightless in my arms, however. She was precious to me the moment she was born, and forever will be my whole world.
1. Chapter 1 - BedBug

**DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot (of the fanfic). **

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 1<strong>  
><span><strong>BedBug<strong>

Elena Gilbert woke up in the early hours of the fall, Monday morning. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand as an ongoing clang of the London Bell Tower, Big Ben, went through repeat. She fumbled to shut off the bothersome noise that reminded her it was 7am, time to start a new day.

When her thumb finally found the snooze button she sighed out in relief and dropped the phone back down. It took her a brief moment to come to her senses before she flipped onto her back and stared at the popcorn ceiling of her bedroom.

"Hey, bedbug, rise n' shine." She mumbles sleepily, nudging the foot close to her's and hopefully arousing the still sleeping human.

"5 more minutes, mommy." Whispered the girl, mushing her face into her pillow and placing a hand over her mother's face.

"Nope, it's Monday." Elena chimed, kissing the small hand and then sitting up in bed and dragging the small girl onto her lap. "Come on Will, we've got school and work." She reminded her daughter, kissing her olive skinned forehead.

"Alright." Willow smiled faintly in her half asleep – half awake state. "You forgot something though." She whispered, giving a small giggle as she opened her eyes to stare at her mom.

"And what have I forgotten?" Elena asks her 4 year old, furrowing her eyebrows playfully.

"I don't have school today." At this Elena tossed her head back and shut her eyes.

"And to think we could have slept in longer." She said disgruntledly, slipping down the bed again and covering the two up with the white sheets.

"But I'm awake now." Willow teased; Elena shushed her child and hugged her close as if the petit child was a personal teddy bear.

"No you're not." She corrected.

"Yes I am." Willow replies surely.

"Nope."

"Yup." And to make a point, Willow broke free from her mother's hold and began jumping on the bed, giggling intensely when her mother rose as well and jumped around with her, throwing the pillows back and forth while the comforter below them crumpled around their feet.

Willow's small feet hooked on the sheets and she went down quickly, Elena following with a pillow landing on her daughter's rear.

"No fair!" Willow demanded between laughs. "I was down, you aren't allowed to throw pillows." She said, tossing the pillow back and untangling her feet from the bedspread.

"I'm sorry." Elena said, collapsing cross-legged next to her fuzzy hair kid and pulling her into her arms. "I love you bug."

"I love you too, mommy." Willow wrapped her arms around her mom's neck and embraced herself in the warmth of the hug. She loved her mom, and her mom loved her. It was the two of them. Happily living a simple life with as many smiles and few tears.

"So you want to come with me to the art studio?" Elena asked, releasing the hug and reaching for the small toy dog that Willow adored.

"Yeah." Willow said, accepting the toy and hugging it close as she climbed off the bed. Elena followed and the two got to work, striping the disheveled sheets from the bed and remaking it to look all new.

"Does it look Ikea worthy?" Elena asks, placing the final pillow down.

"Yup, perfect for their winter catalogue." Willow said, nodding with her mother at their work.

"Breakfast?" Elena asks.

"Breakfast." Willow agreed, taking her mom's hand and walking down the stairs, jumping the last two with a gleeful skip.

"What do you want to eat?"

"Cereal!" Willow chirped, heading for the cereal cabinet. She pulled herself onto the countertop effortlessly and swung open the door, revealing the assortment of cereal choices. "Cheerios, are the best-ios." She sang gleefully, pulling the yellow box down. Elena laughed silently, enjoying her little girl's happiness. She loved that girl with so much passion, even the name brought a spark of light to her eyes. She gave all she could to Willow and got it all back in those amazing moments she could spend with her. Despite being 22 with a 4 year old, she never worried about people's judgment of her age, or the fact that she was alone, raising the child without the father. If anything, she was grateful he was gone, what kind of influence would he have been to her? Besides, she loved her life right now, despite the few struggles that occur every so often, she cherished all she had.

"Can you pour the milk?" Elena asked with a raise of her eyebrow as her small daughter struggled to grab the carton.

"Yup." Willow said with a determined glare at the bowl, aiming with great precision. The milk began to fall over the cheerios, filling to the middle of the bowl and then stopping. "I did it!" Willow cried excitedly, tipping the milk back and smiling at her mess free work.

"Good job." Elena laughed, kissing Willow's head and reaching for the milk.

"No mommy, I want you to have this one. You make a lot for me so I want to make this for you." She explained, sliding the already made bowl to her mom and smiling at her with her gentle blue eyes.

"Thank you bug." She said, her heart clenching at the generosity as her hand ran over her daughter's head.

Once again Willow poured the milk and successfully kept the milk in the bowl giggling with pride when she noticed.

"To an accomplished, mess free breakfast." Elena said, holding her spoon out. Willow hit the convex end of her spoon against her mother's and then indulged in her breakfast, wiggling her feet back and forth at her bar stool.

~.~.~

After breakfast, Elena and Willow both got ready for the day, Elena assisting her daughter by putting her long curls into a ponytail.

"What are you going to bring to the class?" Elena asked as she tied Willow's shoes and reached for the small backpack.

"Just Poppy and my colouring pencils." Willow replied, placing the toy dog carefully into the bag and tossing her box of pencils in as well.

"Is that all?" Elena asked, zipping the bag shut. Willow nodded as she chose her red coat and slipped her thin arms into it.

"Can you help me zip please?" Elena gladly obliged and helped with the zipper, sliding the backpack onto Willow's shoulders and grabbing her coat and purse.

"Ready to go?"

"Yeah!" Willow gave a jump of excitement and ran for the door, her mom close behind as the two headed for the sidewalk and began their journey to the art studio.

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><p><strong>Here's my take on a new fanfic. <strong>

**Be sure to also check out Innocent Love (A divergent fanfic) and The Weight of Us (A Vampire Diaries Fanfic)**

**Comment, Like, Follow :)**

**-Valentina**


	2. Chapter 2 - The Leaf

**DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot (of the fanfic).**

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 2<span>**  
><strong><span>The Leaf<span>**

**_Elena_**

Willow grasped my hand as we walked under the grove of tress scattering our block. The beautiful maples were coloured with red, yellow, and orange, their leaves descending down onto the wet roads from last nights rain.

"Oh this is a pretty leaf." Willow exasperated, yanking my hand slightly as she reached down to fetch her desired plant. "I can draw this at the studio." She decided, twirling the leaf between her fingers and looking at the marvelous red and yellow combination.

"It's very pretty." I comment helping her jump over a puddle of water as we went on with the walk.

"I love it." She looks up at me and I look down to her. "Here, I want you to have it." She lifts her outstretched hand to me and I analyze the leaf.

"But it's yours," I point out. "You found it."

"Yeah but you can turn it into art for me." She points out, wiggling the slightly soaked leaf.

"We can both make it into art." I say, releasing her hand and opening my purse to pull out a tissue to keep the leaf safe. I unfold the large tissue and she delicately places the leaf down, folding all four sides into it and allowing me to place it into my purse once again.

"Now it's safe." She says delightfully, taking my hand again and proceeding with our walk.

~.~.~

"Hi Elena, hey Will. No school today?" The receptionist, Cameron, asks when we enter the high school.

"Nope, I get to come to work with mommy."  
>"That's fun." Cameron exasperates, crouching down in front of Willow.<p>

"Yeah, I get to do art with the big kids." She replies.

"Well have fun."

"Thank you."

"Oh and Elena, there's been a block change. Your first class today is with the tenth graders." Cameron says, rising from the floor and handing me the folder with my name on it. I accept it and smile up at her.

"Thanks for letting me know. I'll see you later." Willow and I wave as we walk away, heading through the teen clustered hallways and receiving few "Good morning Miss. Gilbert." Willow hugs herself a little closer to me when the scrawny ninth graders turn into large twelfth graders. Just as I enter the art studio the bell rings and my students begin to flow in close behind me.

"Good morning, please take your seats. Hats off, sunglasses off. Yes Lucas, a toque is a hat, therefore you must remove it." Lucas' friends laugh at him as he yanks off the hat and takes his seat, chucking the toque at a still laughing friend.

"Good morning Miss. Gilbert."

"Good morning ladies." I smile at the group of girls, walking to the door and looking out to the hallways quickly for any still stranded students. I shut the door and walk back to my desk, hushing the rowdy morning group who talk of their weekend events. Willow hops off my chair and waits for me to sit down before joining me again.

"Alright, today I want you to sketch an image of what makes you happy. A person, object, word. Be it anything, I want you to think of it, draw it, and prepare a quick speech on what it is and how it makes you happy. Everyone must present today." I explain, looking to Willow expectantly. Whenever she comes to work I make assignments that she can do as well so then she stays in the loop and feels like a student. "Get to work." I instruct, pushing back in my chair and rising with Willow in my arms. I place her on my chair and then crouch in front of the bottom drawer of my desk. I pull out her sketch book with her name written on the front in loopy print.

"Here Bug." I say, handing her the book and her colour pencils. She gets to work, furrowing her eyebrows the way a very familiar face did when she was focused.

I walk away when I know she's comfortable, heading over to the desks to see how each student portrayed their happiness.

"If those are boobs Mr. O'Neil then I truly do hope you will like the 0 for inappropriate behavior." I warn him, he snickers and leans back in his stool.

"Miss. Gilbert, you have it all wrong. I would never draw a womans chest." He says with sincerity, I cross my arms and raise a eyebrow.

"What is it then?" I ask, cocking my head to the side a little.

"I drew her butt." He explains with a burst of laughter afterwards.

"Dear God." I sigh, shaking my head and turning to walk away. "Please draw something appropriate Keith." I say.

"Yes ma'am." He agrees. I hear a page tear behind me and smile in satisfaction. The one thing about being an art teacher is that your students actually like you, and respect you… sometimes.

"Mommy." A voice chirps up in the semi-quite room. Some girls cooed at the sound, expressing the adorable child at the desk.

"Yeah Will?" I ask, walking back to my blushing daughter and bringing my ear down to her head.

"Can I have my leaf please?" She asks quietly, cupping her hands over my ear. I nod and reach behind her for my purse. I grab the tissue and hand her the leaf, glancing at the image before walking back to the desks. She so far drew big trees, all aligned like the ones on our street.

"That's very pretty." I whisper to her, stroking her blonde curls and kissing her cheek. She giggles and thanks me before getting back to her work.

"Miss. Gilbert." I look to the door and see Cameron standing with a very confused look. She beacons me to follow with a subtle motion of her hand. I raise my finger quickly and look to my class.

"Excuse me for a moment, keep the talking to a whisper and finish those sketches please." I say, going to Willow.

"Can you stay here for a few minutes?" I ask her, she looks worriedly to the class but nods, her eyes showing a glimpse of determination. "Okay, be good." I say, pecking her forehead and hurrying over to Cameron.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I ask, shutting the door behind me, and beginning to follow her down the hall.

"You have a visitor at the office, he said it was urgent and that he needed to see you immediately." She explains, picking up our pace slightly. I rush with her and arrive at the office, only to see the back of a very familiar head. My mind flashes back to the first day of school many years ago.

_"Hold up. Who's this?" Bonnie asks me, stopping our walk through the hallway, right in front of the office. _

_"All I see is back." I say, shrugging at her desperate behavior._

_"It's a hot back." She says, I smile slightly and laugh at her words. "I'm sensing Seattle. And he plays the guitar." She says, pretending that her psychic abilities truly do work. _

_I laugh once again, "You're really going to run this whole psychic thing to the ground, huh?" I ask, turning to face her._

_"Pretty much." She agrees, laughing with me. _

"Elena,"

"Stefan."


	3. Chapter 3 - November 18th, 2010

**DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot (of the fanfic).**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 3<strong>  
><span><strong>November 18th, 2010<strong>

"What are you doing here?" I ask, subduing the painful memories I once shared with him and… and-

"He's coming back." Stefan says, cutting my train of thought.

"What? Who is?" I ask, pushing him towards the door and out to the entrance doors.

"Damon. I told him about Willow-"

"Why?" I cry out, lifting my arms angrily at him.

"He had a right to know. What was I supposed to do when I ran into my brother whom I haven't seen in 5 years in some random shit town? He asked about you and it slipped out that you decided to keep her." He explains, I shake my head in refusal to believe anything he's saying.

"Damon left, he can't just waltz back into town and into Willow's life like nothing happened!" I demand, my breathing starting to hitch.

"He's different, Elena. He's changed."

"No! He left me; I had to raise my daughter all alone because he was too afraid to help out. I refuse to let him near her-"

"Elena stop-"

"No Stefan, he's a monster." I demand angrily, crossing my arms.

"He'll find you. When Damon has his mind set on something he'll work hard until he can get his hands on it. I just wanted to let you know."

"I have a class to teach. Excuse me." As I begin to walk away I whack him with my shoulder before entering the school again.

"Is everything alright?" Cameron asks me as I fix my hair behind my ears and straighten my top.

"Just fine." I smile at her and head back for my studio, making sure the smile holds so Willow doesn't worry about anything.

"Alright class, let's get to the presenting." I say, entering the room and clapping my hands together.

"Who's first?" I ask, lifting Willow and taking a seat with her on my lap. "All you have to do is stand up, say your name and why you drew what you did."

"I'm Jessica, I drew a cat because my whole life I grew up with pet cats. They make me happy because they always showed me true love."

"Thank you Jessica." I say, nodding for another person to go.

"I'm Robin, and I drew a robin. Why you ask? Because robins are beautiful birds that make me smile." She takes her seat again while few people clap.

Five other go, presenting TV's, skateboards, wallets full of money, stick people representing friends or family, and even a coffee cup.

"I'm Willow." To my shock my very own daughter, the shyest little girl I've ever laid my eyes on, rose from my lap and showed her sketch. "I drew a picture of my mommy and me holding hands and sharing this leaf," She lifts up the brightly coloured leaf from this morning, "because she makes me happy and I liked to share pretty things with her." She explains, giggling when people clapped for her.

"Good job Bug." I say, embracing my daughter and asking for the next presenter. The thought of Damon dissipated as I held Willow on my lap and watched my students speak. Her little hand rested on my collarbone like it did four years ago.

|| November 18th, 2010 ||

_"Come on Elena, you're doing so well." The pain was beyond blinding. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think, my ears were blocked and my heart raced at an incredible speed. I was giving it my all, sobbing as my hands gripped to Bonnie's and a nurse._

_"No more." I plead, leaning my head against the bed and shaking it in refusal._

_"Please dear, keep going. The baby's heart rate is dropping, she needs to come now if she stands a chance." The doctor between my legs explains, looking at me with his old, wise, murky green eyes._

_I push again and cry out as I felt an incredible release. Now the crying didn't come from me. It came from it. It came from her._

_Her body was dirty and her cries chocked over each other, but she was beautiful, everything about her was. Then she was taken from me, my eyes emanating sadness as I watched her in the distance being wiped down and checked over. A nurse swaddled her and briskly returned her to my arms. _

_5 pounds, 5 ounces. She felt weightless in my arms, however. She was precious to me the moment she was born, and forever will be my whole world. I slip her hand free from the blanket and count her fingers. All five fingers expanded in a very small stretch and then reach for me, landing on my chest and holding to my collarbone as comfort. I smile down at this little miracle and can't contain the tears that fall. _

_"She's gorgeous Elena." Bonnie mentions beside me, rubbing my shoulder with a smile._

_"Thanks Bon." I whisper, lifting the small bundle close to my face._

_"Hey baby," I whisper into her little ear, kissing it gently and causing her to tuck her face close to mine from the ticklish effect it brought to her._

_"Ma'am we need a surname for the nursery. No need to rush on the first name yet." A nurse says, a clipboard at hand. _

_"I have one." I say, with a small nod, my eyes still on the baby I held._

_"Gilbert," I say for the surname, Bonnie lifting an eyebrow to ask if I was sure. I nod to her and myself, "Willow Gilbert." I conclude, catching my eyes with the blue ones of a man I used to know. She had her father's eyes, but her's were full of innocence._

|| PRESENT ||

The bell went indicating for the end of class. I dismissed the tenth graders and smiled down at my now sleeping child.

"Told you, you weren't awake." I tease her, remembering this mornings tuffie. I rise from my chair and quickly check my schedule. Today was a half day, so this was my only class, I guess home is the only destination from here. I gently lay her on the chair and slip on my jacket once again. I loop my purse over my free arm and sling Willow's backpack on after it, finally grabbing her from the chair and reaching for her coat. I'm grateful she's a light load, otherwise this walk would have been a very hard one.

I gently drape her coat over her back and grab her leaf before heading for the doors. She sleeps as we walk past the rowdy students and out the door. I turn for the direction of our home and glance at the carefully lit trees that glow under the sun. My heart warms as I hug my girl close to me and kiss her blonde head. This right here, was perfect.

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><p><strong>So I'm guessing you all know who the dad is now :) <strong>

**Comment, Like, Follow :)**

**-Valentina**


	4. Chapter 4 - Nobody

**DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot (of the fanfic). **

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 4<br>Nobody**

"Should we make dinner soon?" I ask Willow as we sit on the couch watching a movie. Her head was rested on my lap and her dog was tucked in her arms along with her baby knit blanket draped over her shoulders.

"Sure, but I'm not too hungry." She informs me, yawning despite herself.

"Are you still sleepy?" I ask.

"Yeah." She nods. I furrow my eyebrows in confusion of how this could be possible. She slept until 12 once I got home from the school and it was only 6:30 now. She can't be exhausted from watching movies all day.

I shrug it off, and lift her off the couch, walking us to the kitchen. I set her down on the counter top and open the fridge.

"What do you want to eat?" I ask, looking at our options for an easy dinner. "We have left over pasta, and there's some chicken that we never finished from Saturday." I suggest, pulling the containers out and placing them next to her. She opens both and carefully sniffs the pasta.

"Will," I laugh, shaking my head at her pickiness. "You know what that tastes like, you ate it yesterday at lunch." I point out.

"Oh yeah." She says, remembering the food now.

"Silly girl." I say, placing two plates down. I separate the food equally and toss the containers into the sink. "A quick and easy dinner." I say, placing the plates in the microwave and getting to work on rinsing the dirty boxes and lids. I place them in the dishwasher and begin to dry my hands when the doorbell rings. I sigh and increase the time of the food heating up before pulling Willow off the counter and handing her the towel.

"Here, can you fold this and place it back on the rack?" I ask, she nods and takes it from me.

I head for the door and flip on the entrance light, spooking myself in process when I trip over one of Willow's little boots. I should really teach her how to put away her shoes. Being distracted by the shoe I forgot to look into the peephole on the door.

"Hello-" I begin to say, only to jump at the sight of the person on the other side. "Damon." I say beside myself, leaning on the doorknob for support.

"Elena," He whispers, smiling weakly as my eyes shoot daggers.

"What do you want?" I ask him, kicking the boot behind the door so he wouldn't notice.

"Umm… I ran into Stefan and he told me about you and-" Just then the timer went off on the microwave and Willow came running out of the kitchen towards me.

"Mommy the food is ready." She informs me stopping in her tracks at the sight of the man at the door. "Who are you?" She asks in her sweet, confused tone.

"Uh-"

"He's nobody sweetheart." I explain quickly, glaring at Damon before looking back to Willow. "How about you go and turn off the movie and fix the pillows before dinner, okay Bug?"

"Alright, nice meeting you." She says to Damon, waving at him before running back to the living room.

"Her name is Willow?" He asks with a wider grin.

"Don't flatter yourself. The last name is Gilbert. You're literally nobody in her life." I say angrily, trying to keep my voice low so Willow wouldn't hear.

"You can't say that Elena-"

"And why not?" I cut him off. "You weren't there through all the late nights, or colds, or tears, or even the milestones, and the laughs. She knows only me as a parent, I'm both her mom and dad." I say, crossing my arms.

"I didn't want to leave." He says. I scoff at this.

"Last I remember, it was my fault that I got pregnant. Don't worry Damon, we're doing just fine without you in our lives. And I'd hate to ruin your life with my presence." I make sure to point out that those were his words and not mine. "Now please, leave. I don't want to keep her waiting."

"I'm sorry." He whispers, ducking his head just as I shut the door.

"Mommy." Willow calls for me.

"I'm coming, baby." I promise, fixing my hair and wiping away at the glimmer of tears brimming my eyes. Once I feel better I head back to the kitchen and pull out our dinner. She happily gets to work on eating while I prod at the chicken and eat two or three pieces of pasta.

"I'm full." She says, placing her fork down next to her half eaten plate.

"Alright, time for a bath I guess." I say, dropping out leftovers in the garbage and cleaning the plates. "Come on." I offer my hand as we both head for the stairs. I flip the lights off downstairs and call it a night for that floor. Upstairs I get to work on getting her set for a shower. I turn on the warm water and show her the shampoo, and conditioner. I place her towel down next to the tub and help her undress.

"Will you be able to clean yourself off?" I ask her, holding her shoulders so she'd watch me.

"Yup." She nods, smiling proudly. I nod and help her in, reminding her not to change the temperature of the water and to carefully rinse her hair so then she doesn't get soap in her eyes. When I know she is in a shower I get started on my own. Washing off today's worries and scrubbing free the grime that Damon has brought upon me.

I shower quickly and dress in my pajamas just with enough time to help Willow rinse her hair from the conditioner and help her from the tub. She dries and dresses in a pair of poodle pajamas.

We both fall asleep before 9pm, she lying in my arms and I nuzzled my nose into her fresh smelling hair.

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><p><strong>Comment, Like, Follow :)<strong>

**-Valentina **


	5. Chapter 5 - Heat

**DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot (of the fanfic).**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 5<strong>  
><span><strong>Heat<strong>

I can't explain it. The way I felt my arms burn with such severity that even I began to sweat was enough to make anyone wonder what had happen. It wasn't even my own body heat that reached over 100 degrees. It was Willow. Her pajamas were soaked when I awaken from the aggressive heat. I could see the soaked spots under her arms and around her neck and back. Her forehead was beaded with sweat and her breathing was mixed with snores showing her congested state.

I was in a fury, rising from the bed quickly and fumbling to get to the bathroom cabinet in the dark. I grab the thermometer and rush back to the bed, pressing the machine into Willow's ear and stirring her from her rest.

"Shh, it's okay Will. You're fine." I soothe, stroking back her soaked hair. She began to cry in discomfort from her own body and whimpered as her arms attempted to pull free from the overheating pajamas. "106.5" I mumble, racking my brain on what I should do.

"Mommy…" Willow cries, reaching for me. I pull her into my arms and place her on the ground. I strip her off her pajamas and grab her knit blanket from the end of the bed.

"Don't worry baby, I'll take you to the doctors." I say, lifting us off the ground with her huddled in my embrace. I grab another blanket from her room along with her dog and a new set of pajamas.

I rush downstairs as I shove the things into my purse and kick on my boots. Thankfully my pajamas consisted of leggings and a too big t-shirt. Nothing too eccentric for nightwear. I grab my keys and head for my black SUV, unlocking the back doors and strapping her into her car seat with a swift motion. I drape her second blanket on her lap and toss my purse onto the front seat before rushing from the driveway and towards the hospital.

"It's okay, Will. No need to cry." I coo, looking at the rear view mirror. "You don't feel good." I say, offering a sympathetic glance. She just sobs once more and pulls her blanket up to her shoulders.

"Cold." She says. I increase the heat slightly and drive just a tad faster, hoping that there were no patrol cars watching for speed limits tonight.

I pull up to the ER 10 minutes later, parking the car quickly and pulling Willow into my arms, her body heat feeling even hotter as I cradle her head to my shoulder. I rush into the emergency room and head for the receptionist.

"Hi, this is my daughter Willow, she's four years old, and has a fever of over 106. She's allergic to penicillin and has slight heart arrhythmia." I explain in a hurry, rocking Willow in between my frenzy of words.

"Alright I just need her health card." The nurse says, nodding at her screen. I fish out my wallet and pull out her card, handing it over. She types in some more info and hands it back.

"Just bring her over to my side and I'll do a quick exam before getting her in line to see a doctor." The nurse instructs, printing off her hospital band and opening the door to her check up room. I enter and take a seat on a chair. I place Willow sitting on my lap and hush her with soothing words about her being all right. The nurse wraps the band around her wrist and then pulls up a chart. She adds it to a clipboard and reaches for her pen.

"Okay Willow, I'm going to check your temperature." She nods and opens her mouth willingly. "That's right, just place it under your tongue." The nurse explains, looking for the temperature. "107." She says out loud, pulling out the thermometer and disposing of the seal. She jots down the info and then turns on the scale. I place Willow on the ground and she willingly gets on. "Any change in appetite or bathroom usages?" The nurse asks, wring down 30 pounds as Willow's weight and 3ft as her height.

"Um she said she wasn't hungry around dinner time and only ate about half of her food."

"And sleep?"

"She slept from nine to seven last night and from nine am to twelve pm during the day. She was claiming to be tired at 6ish."

"Okay." The nurse nods, placing down the clipboard. "Any vomiting?"

"No."

"Alright Willow, does anything hurt?" She asks, holding my daughter's eyes.

"My tummy." Willow expresses.

"Do you need to throw up?" The nurse asks next. To answer that, Willow reached for one of the cardboard containers we were offered upon entering the office, and threw up her pasta and chicken. "Well that answers that." The nurse says, taking the vomit bowl and offering a new one. I take it and wrap Willow in her blanket, using a tissue to wipe her mouth and kissing her forehead to calm her furious tears.

"Just take a seat in the waiting room. I'll try to get her in to see a doctor real soon." I thank her and exit the room, Willow in my arms like a baby.

I take a seat and lay her out next to me, her legs rested on another chair and her head on my lap.

As I sit there I stroke her hair and work her into her sleep again. We sit for nearly four hours, her vomiting occurring only once each hour. I felt my heavy eyes grow almost impossible to keep open by the time she was called in.

"I'm Dr. Ricker. Sorry for the wait, it's been wild here." He explains, closing the room door behind us and offering me to place Willow on the bed. I rest her down and hold her hand, my other one brushing her hair carefully.

"So she has a fever, vomiting, and has the sweats, correct?" He asks, washing his hands at the sink.

"Yeah, She was sleeping a lot more and eating less as well." I add, he nods and grabs some gloves.

"Okay, let's take a look." He approached Willow and had her sit up, slightly. He used a stick and light to see the back of her throat. "Well her throat isn't inflamed, and there doesn't seem to be any irritation." He tosses the stick out and uses the light on her eyes. "Appropriate dilation of her pupils." He says, clicking off the light. He unwraps the stethoscope from around his neck and places it on her chest.

"She was born with a heart arrhythmia, right?" He asks me, I nod in response and continue to run my fingers over her hair.

"Alright Willow, lie down." He instructs, I ease onto her back and hold her small hand. "Tell me if it hurts where I press." He begins gentle prodding over her belly and abdomen. "Ouch." She whimpers when he reaches her lower belly.

"I'm going to get her set up with an IV and an ultrasound. I think this may be an appendicitis."

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**-Valentina **


	6. Chapter 6 - January 4th, 2011

**DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot (of the fanfic).**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 6<strong>  
><span><strong>January 4th, 2011<strong>

|| January 4th, 2011 ||

_It was the first time Willow ever got sick. She was barely 2 months old when the abominable cold from the weather hit her. She was rested in her crib, my hand rubbing over her little belly from where I laid on the bed next to it. Most nights she slept in the bed with me, her body rested on some pillows as I'd stroke her hair and sing her to sleep. But tonight I opted to use the crib to teach her that she has a bed as well. _

_As I ran my fingers up her little tummy and towards her neck I could feel the warmer than usual heat. She then sneezed as if to make a point and that's when I knew she was sick. I rose in my bed, picked up the little child and nuzzled her close to my chest as I sat against the headboard of my bed. And I cried._

_I cried because I had no one to call at 10pm about what I should do when my newborn caught her first cold. No mother, or father, or aunt. Add the fact that her dad was out of the picture, and I was the definition of alone. So with a shaky hand I grab my phone and search for a name I had long almost forgotten. Elizabeth Forbes had left town a mere three months ago with her new fiancé for a long trip to the most secluded places on earth. I crossed my fingers that she was at least somewhere with available phone connection._

_I grabbed a tissue and wiped Willow's nose, hearing the phone hum as she receives my call._

_"Hello?" A voice asks amongst a crowd of many in the background. _

_"Ms. Forbes." I say, whimpering slightly but suppressing my tears before speaking again. "It's Elena." I managed to say a little clearer._

_"Elena, hello dear. Is everything all right?" She asks gently, puffing slightly as she walked away from the loud people._

_"Umm- no not really. I'm sorry to call you like this but Willow's sick and I don't have anyone with experience to call who'd know what to do. I understand if you can't help but it's kind of hard to figure this out, especially when I can't call my parents or my aunt or even her dad." I say whimpering again as I look to my pale daughter._

_"I understand Elena, it's perfectly fine that you called me. So what's wrong with Willow?" She asks me, a motherly pitch taking over her tone._

_"She's really warm and is sneezing and coughing." I explain._

_"What's her temperature?" I rush to get the sealed package with the phone pressed between my ear and shoulder._

_"It's a rectal thermometer. Oh no, I don't know how to do this." I say, panicking slightly as I sit on the edge of the bed._

_"Take a deep breath and read the instructions. Trust me I used those on Caroline and she hardly cried. It's just a little uncomfortable for them." She tells me, I nod slightly to myself and pull the phone from my ear, putting it on speaker and laying it next to my leg. I open the package and pull out the thermometer, reading what to do and then proceeding. _

_I clean the thermometer end with disinfectant and add some petroleum jelly as instructed and laid Willow over my lap once again, this time diaper free. _

_"Okay, just hold her down lightly and carefully insert the thermometer." She instructs through the phone. I breathe out and do as told. Willow wails at the discomfort and I freeze. _

_"It's okay baby." I coo gently, holding her down a little harder and waiting for the results. They came up quickly and I removed the thermometer, lifting Willow up and pressing her head into my shoulder._

_"103." I say out loud, rinsing off the end and disinfecting it while rocking Willow._

_"Okay give her some cough syrup for babies and let her sleep in a diaper. Also rub her tummy because it soothes any ache that the medicine can give." _

_"Thanks Ms. Forbes." I sigh out, turning off the bathroom lights and heading for the changing table. _

_"Anytime Elena, I'll always be a mother figure to you whenever you need me too. Now get some rest. She should be fine in a few days."_

_"Thanks." I say again, hanging up and adding a new diaper to my daughter. "I am never going to stick anything in your butt again. Tomorrow we're buying a new thermometer." I inform the infant, kissing her nose and carrying her back to bed. I guess a new habit is going to develop at the rate she sleeps in my bed. But I don't care, because I love her and want to make sure she feels good all the time. _

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**-Valentina **


	7. Chapter 7 - I'm Scared

**DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot (of the fanfic).**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 7<br>I'm Scared**

"I want to be with her." I demand as a male nurse holds my shoulders by the "Restricted Entrance" doors.

"Ma'am your daughter is headed for emergency surgery, we can't allow you inside the prep room at this time. She should be out in two to four hours. For now please, just take a seat in the waiting room, do you have someone you can call?" He asks me. I stop trying to push myself past him, and shake my head.

"No, I don't." I answer, fixing my pajama top that drops over my left shoulder.

"If you'd like, head home and grab your daughter some underwear, a pillow maybe, and anything that can make her comfortable. Recovery lasts about a week in the hospital. She'll be fine." I cross my arms and think for a long moment before readjusting my purse and walking away.

I leave the ER and head for my car, unlocking the door and sliding into the driver seat. As I sit there and take a deep breath, all of my worries flood with it. I begin to shake with tears as my hands grip the steering wheel and my forehead presses against it. I sob harder than ever before and begin to mumble something similar to a prayer. I begged for my daughter's safety, and that I could still hold her hand and stroke her hair and kiss her forehead.

I compose myself within ten minutes and start the ignition, beginning my journey home alone, without Willow in her car-seat as usual.

When I get home my fingers are numb from the ongoing pressure I've held on the wheel. I was exhausted, my eyes drooping in protest to my demands of staying awake. I look to the clock and notice it's only been 20 minutes that I've been apart from Willow, she'd probably be in the operating room right now.

"Hey." I jump when someone knocks on my window. I turn and see Damon standing there, his eyes sympathetic and features rigid with panic. I scowl at his presence.

"What do you want?" I demand angrily, climbing from the car and slamming the door shut.

"I saw you rush Willow to the ER. Is she okay?" He asks frantically. "Did she get hurt? Or sick? Or-"

"Stop it, Damon!" I demand, stopping short of the house and turning to face him.

"Why? She's my kid too."

"No, she's my kid. You don't need to worry that she's in the hospital. I do. So just leave me the hell alone."

"I already tried doing that and I can't. I want to be apart of her life; I've already missed the first four years." He pleads.

"And who's fault would that be?" I snap, cocking my head to the side and raising suspicious eyebrows.

"I was scared and thought you weren't going to go through with it. After Stefan ran into me and told me that you had her, and kept her, something in me changed. I knew I had to be there for you and for Willow. " I roll my eyes and begin to walk away, "Please – Elena!" He calls, vamp speeding next to me. "At least let me drive you to the hospital again. You haven't slept and you can use the ride as a sleeping opportunity. Please, I don't want you getting in an accident." I tap my foot impatiently and consider this offer before finally shaking my head.

"I'll be fine as soon as I drink some coffee." I say surely. "Thanks for the offer though." I walk into the house and close the door before he can get anywhere near me.

"Elena!" He called, knocking on the door. I ignore him and head up the stairs to Willow's room. I enter and sadden at the sight of her sun lit room, the 7am sunlight bursting past the curtains. I grab her backpack and toss in a few sets of pajamas, along with multiple underwear and her book. I place the bag next to her pillow and head over to my room to change out of my pajamas. Once I'm dressed in a pair of new leggings, a shirt, and hoodie, I make the bed and pack our toothbrushes and tooth paste along with a hairbrush. I draw my hair into a ponytail, fixing the loose pieces that have fallen free over the past few hours.

I grab the backpack, her pillow and my purse before heading to the kitchen and starting a pot of coffee. I grab my large thermos along with a second one that isn't as big. It takes five minutes for the coffee to brew, I pour the mugs to the brim and add an appropriate amount of sugar before heading for the door. As suspected, Damon was seated on the porch swing, his head in his hands and leg bouncing in anticipation.

"Here, the heat will make you feel human to the touch." I remind him, handing the travelers mug to him and taking my larger one into my now free hand.

"Thanks." He said, taking a gentle sip from the steaming liquid. "I screwed up, Elena." He mumbles into his mug, dragging a hand through his hair. I look to my watch and see that it has only been 45 minutes since I've left Willow, it would take another three hours before I'd get to see her.

"You did." I agree, placing the stuff down on the ground and taking a seat next to him on the swing.

"I've relived that fight so many times, it's hard to count."

"Yeah well, imagine how it made me feel." I say, taking a greedy swing from my mug.

"You have to understand that I did not mean any of it." He says, looking to me with his bright blue eyes. Willow got his eyes.

"You said it though. And you've been gone for four years! Four years, Damon!" I say in an astounding tone. "You never held her, or touched her, or held her hand when she was scared. I changed every diaper, kissed every bump, bruise, and scrap, cleaned every runny nose and comforted each tear away. I've never spent more than seven hours away from her in my life. And now she's in surgery to have her appendix removed. She's never had anything worse than a fever and now she's with an intense temperature and is throwing up and can hardly eat or sleep. And I'm scared." I admit, tears falling from my eyes as I hold my head in my hands. His movements were awkward but I didn't refuse his touch when his hand gently ran over my shoulder blades. It was a comforting action from him, and I could sense a feel of vulnerability from myself. I've played the brave card around Willow for years, now I've dropped the act and am breaking apart on the porch swing in front of the father of my child. And a part of me feels as though this is acceptable, that this is what I need.

We sit for nearly half and hour, his hand running over my back as I sobbed and shook my head. It was a mess, but I felt a certain relief when I finally stood up and gathered my things, heading for the SUV and returning to the hospital.

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**-Valentina**


	8. Chapter 8 - The Stars Will Catch You

**DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot (of the fanfic).**

LISTEN TO **NOT ABOUT ANGELS BY BIRDY** IF YOU WANT THE FEELS TO HIT YOU HARDER

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 8<br>The Stars Will Catch You**

I cradled her IV wrapped hand. It was near impossible to find a part of her hand that wasn't taped but I managed to hold her fist and stroke her little fingers as she slowly awoken from her drugged state.

"Hey Bug," I whisper, rubbing my hand over her hair and moving my head close to hers. She moans in discomfort but I shush her. "Shh, it's okay. You don't need to speak. It's just mommy, you're okay." I promise her, kissing her little ear and rubbing my thumb over the crown of her head.

"Hurts." She mumbles unintelligibly. I press the nurse call button and continue to soothe my daughter.

"Hello Willow, I'm glad to see you're awake." Nurse Paula chimmed, entering the room with some medicine prepared.

"She said it hurts." I say, we both sympathetically look to her.

"Well what hurts dear?" Paula asks, going to her open side and watching Willow's eyes.

"Tummy." Willow managed to croak out, her tears starting fall as she chewed her bottom lip.

"Here, drink this medicine and the pain should go away." Paula offered, I help Willow sit up despite her painful groans and cries.

"Thank you." I say, taking the small cup and placing it on Willow's lips. I tilt the contents into her mouth and she disgruntledly swallows, licking at her bright pink tinged lips.

"Good girl, call me if she needs anything else."

"Thanks." I say, easing Willow back down and readjusting her knit blanket over her shoulders. "Hey Baby, I missed you." I say, sitting close to her bed again and resting my head next to her's. "But I don't want you to be scared, okay? This is just a little pothole in our road of happiness, right?" She nods and rubs her eyes lightly with her wire free fist.

"Carry me, please." She says, her voice whimpering near the end. I don't hesitate to rise from the seat and scope her into my arms. Holding her like she was a small infant, I begin to walk around the bed, back and forth while bouncing slightly. The IV and heart monitor gave us only so much freedom but I embraced my daughter and managed to soothe away her pained whimpers until she was finally asleep again.

My phone buzzes in my back pocket just as I loop around the bed again and finally rest back in my chair, nuzzling Willow close to me as I answer my phone.

"Hello?" I say into the receiver, forgetting to look at the caller ID.

"Elena, hey how is she?" Caroline's voice chirps, another voice asking for news in the background.

"Fine, she woke up a little while ago but fell asleep again." I say in a whisper, laughing when Bonnie demands for Jeremy to shut up.

"Can we come see our girl?" Bonnie asks.

"Yeah, why don't you all drop by tomorrow? She can't have visitors in her first 24 hours after the surgery but if all looks good you guys can see her tomorrow."

"Great, give her kisses from all of us. We love you guys."

"Love you too." I say, hanging up my cell and placing it on the nightstand. I continue to rock Willow and stroke her forehead that has decreased in its feverish temperature.

"I remember the first time I ever rocked you like this." I whisper to her, admiring her three-year-old stature meant for a four-year-old girl. "You hardly had any hair for me to stroke but I still rubbed your little head and just sat all through the night watching you. And you watched me back. For hours we held each other's eyes and I kept telling you to be ambitious. To shoot for the moon because even if you fall short a star will be there to catch you. Dreams are for those brave enough to think of them, and wishes are for those daring enough to ask for them. You are the bravest, most daring girl I've ever met. Dreaming of the craziest inventions, and wishing for a countless amount of things that you know are near impossible to get. But you still push for them, because I think you remembered our first conversation about being ambitious. I think you always knew about your stars that will catch you and launch you to different moons. I'm one of your stars Will, I'll always launch you and catch you again but for now I'm going to hold you and make sure that you can reach your dreams while being healthy. I love you." I whisper, nuzzling my nose into her hair and slowly drifting into a much-needed sleep.

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**-Valentina **


	9. Chapter 9 - Dysfunctional Family

**DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot (of the fanfic).**

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 9<br>Dysfunctional Family****  
><strong>

||THE NEXT DAY||

"Are you excited to see our friends?" I ask Willow as she sits up in bed and nibbles on a piece of toast. Her appetite still lacked but she was awake and smiling just as always. Leave it to Willow to smile even through the most draining of times.

"Yeah," She says, nodding her head and taking a sip from the Styrofoam cup filled with water. "I wanted to show Ric my cool needle since he likes JoJo, and JoJo knows a lot about them." She says making me laugh. Of course Willow wanted Ric to take interest in something that his girlfriend deals with daily, she's been wanting them to get married since they started going out 3 months ago.

"We'll have to see who drops by." I say, trailing my fingers up and down her back the way she enjoys. "For now can I brush and braid your messy hair?" She giggles as I shag up the top of her already bed-head and cow licked hair.

"Okay." She agrees, I reach for the brush and begin to work through her blonde locks, admiring how each curl bounce back to the perfect twirl.

"When do I get to go home?" She asks in a lighter tone, indicating discomfort.

"In a week Bug. For now, I'll stay with you and we can watch movies all day and read your book for school. Sound good?" I ask, leaning forward to look at her eyes.

"Yeah." She says slightly saddened. I place the brush away and pick her up turning her around so she sits on my lap, facing me.

"Tell me everything on your mind." I instruct softly, smoothening her hair behind her ear and taking her hands into mine.

"The room is scary, and it's really bright sometimes. I also don't like the beeping everywhere and my tummy still hurts. I don't like it here." She says, tears building in her eyes. I slide them away and hold her face in my hands.

"Keep going." I say, still noticing how tense she was.

"The food is icky, I can't go to the bathroom because I have to go in a bucket thingy, and I don't have all my favourite things here."

"What's missing?" I ask.

"My toys, and bed, and movies. Most of my books and our pictures aren't anywhere in here. I liked seeing us on the fridge and living room. It's_ TOO_ white in here." She demands, motioning to her surroundings. I nod and agree with her point on the room colour.

"Anything else?"

"No." She says, pouting her lower lip lightly.

"Bug?" I ask.

"I just want a hug." She says, tears falling from her eyes. I obliged immediately, pulling her to my chest and allowing her to sprawl out over me.

"A hug is always good. And we are always home, as long as we are together." I remind her, kissing her pale cheeks and wrapping her blanket over us.

"Is she all finished?" Paula asks, entering the room 30 minutes later once Willow dozed off.

"Yeah, thanks." I say, watching as she ushers the small cart out of the room and closes the door with her heel.

I sleep a little longer with Willow, since breakfast was served at 7 and we were still exhausted after everything that happened yesterday.

Two hours later my phone rang, reminding me of our guests that were waiting downstairs for me to bring them up to the room.

"Hey BedBug. I'm going to go bring your friends up, okay?" I ask her, her slurred words agreeing lightly as she turns her head the other direction and sinks lower into her blankets. "I love you." I press a kiss to her forehead and head downstairs quickly, where a nurse was just signing them in as guests.

I breathed out a sigh of relief and ran into the embrace of both Bonnie and Caroline. Together they held me and rubbed my back as I cried lightly and thanked them for coming.

"How is she?" Jo asks, her arm strung around Ric's. I pull back from my hug and turn to them, accepting their double embrace as well.

"Sleepy. And slightly pained. But fine I guess." I say, turning to Jeremy and enveloping my arms around his neck.

I hug the remaining people: Liv, Luke, Tyler, Matt, and Stefan before leading them to the elevators and up to Will's room. I now noticed their numerous amounts of balloons and teddy bears. Some saying "Get Well Soon", others saying "You're a Star".

"It's really nice of you guys to come by with all of that." I say, motioning to the arrangement of gifts.

"Anything for WillowBee." Jeremy says, using her nick-name that he invented.

As they enter the room Stefan grabs my arm lightly and pulls me away from the door.

"Did you see him?" He asks in a whisper.

"Yeah, I spoke to him, yelled at him, slammed a door on him, gave him some coffee, cried to him, and now I don't know what is left to do." I say, puffing at the end and crossing my arms.

"Wow, all that in one day?"

"It was a very long day." I demand in slight agony.

"Yeah, I can see that. I just wanted to know what'd you say to me feeding her some of my blood? I can heal her side and there won't be a scar." He persuades, but I shake my head.

"No Stefan, you know I don't want her knowing about all that magic stuff yet. Not until she is noticing it on her own and asks questions. For now, trusting a 4 year old with the knowledge that her uncle Stefan in a vampire as well as her Auntie CareBear, and her Unle TyTy is a Hybrid is probably not a good idea."

"Oh, and don't forget, BonBon the witch, Livey the Witch, Lukey the Witch, and JoJo the witch." He reminds me, laughing as I roll my eyes.

"Yeah I get it, it's a dysfunctional family." I say, turning around to enter the room.

"Oh and her retired Vampire Hunter Uncle Jeremy." He laughs harder and I stifle one as well, covering my mouth when it slips.

"I hate you sometimes." I throw over my shoulder, he just proceeds with his laughter as we close the door behind us.

Caroline was crouched in front of Willow, whispering things to her while the others arranged the gifts everywhere. I was grateful for this family, no matter how dysfunctional it is.

||FEW HOURS LATER||

"No, Jer you're cheating!" Willow laughed, taking back the money he stole in Monopoly.

"Oh yeah? Says who?" He asks, wiggling his face at her and tugging one of her curls.

"Says me, cause I saw you swipe it." She demands back, handing the money to Luke who was the official bank keeper.

"Sorry, I suck at my job." Luke says, raising his hands and shaking his head.

"Yeah, no kidding." Liv laughs, leaning against the foot of the bed and tossing her head back, sighing as the worlds longest game drags on.

"I'm sorta bored." Willow whispers to me after another five minutes of petty arguing over land ownership between Matt and Tyler.

"Oh thank god! Games over." I say to everyone, Liv mouthing thank you to the ceiling as she tosses her money into the center.

"That was…" Bonnie begins to say, fumbling for words.

"Awful," Willow giggles, taking my money and mixing it with her's.

"You're so cute." I say, hugging her close as she sits on my lap, and kissing her cheek repetitively.

"So what do you want to do now?" Jo asks, shutting the box to Monopoly and moving it to the end of the room.

"I don't know." Willow says, lifting her shoulders. "I'm not allowed to jump around for a month so Uncle Ty and Jer can't flip me around." She says with a slight pout.

"Don't worry Bee, you'll be back to your crazy flipping in no time." Jeremy says, plopping down on one of the many plastic chairs. Bonnie sat next to Willow and I at the head of the bed and Liv and Caroline rested at the foot, both hanging their feet over the edge to leave room for our legs.

"Can we have a sleepover mommy?" Willow asks me, turning her head to stare at me.

"No Bug, you're only allowed guests until 6." I remind her.

"It's already 5:45, maybe we should all start heading out." Ric mentions, looking to his watch.

"No, I don't want you to leave." Willow says as tears well-up in her eyes.

"Baby, we have too." Caroline says in a soothing voice, rising from the end of the bed and coming to the head. She strokes Willow's cheek and gives her brightest smile. "I love you." She says, pecking Willow's head and giving her a hug.

"I love – you- too." She replies between her sniffling and tears.

"Don't cry, angel." Liv says with a small laugh. She offers her arms and Willow wraps herself into them, allowing herself to be lifted from the bed and into a warm embrace. I hug the others while Willow says goodbye, eventually making it back to my arms as everyone heads for the door.

"Bye, Sweetie." Jo was the last to say, waving herself off as the door closed. Willow wrapped her legs around my waist and blinked her blue eyes. "I miss them already."

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><p><strong>Comment, Like, Follow :)<strong>

**-Valentina **


	10. Chapter 10 - I'm a Belle

**DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot (of the fanfic).**

* * *

><p><span><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

||1 WEEK LATER||

A week passed, and Willow eventually had enough strength to go home. There was no infection and she seemed to be healthy overall, so the doctors released her after a final checkup.

"When we get home I can make some soup and we can watch a movie on the couch." I tell Willow as I help her dress in a pair of her pajamas. It was a short sleeve shirt with an elephant holding a flower along with a matching pair of grey leggings that seemed baggier than usual. The doctors said weight loss was an inevitable part of being in the hospital but it still worried me since she was already tiny enough.

"Can we watch Brave?" She asks me, a spark of excitement in her eyes.

"Sure can." I say, sliding her top over her head and quickly glancing at her scar. The stitches were removed yesterday, and the scar should be fully healed in the next three weeks.

"I'm happy we can go home." She says, giving me a toothy grin.

"I am too," I say, grabbing the bags and scooping her into my free arm. "Finally, we can sleep in our bed!" I say, wiggling her back and forth as she giggles and cheers.

"Yay!" I hand her, her pillow and toy dog, double-checking we have everything before leaving the room.

I walk out to the SUV and unlock the trunk where I toss the backpack full of clothes and an extra blanket. I toss my purse on the front seat and then strap Willow into her car seat, placing her blanket over her lap and making sure she was comfortable for the ride.

"Do you want to listen to music?" I ask as we leave the hospital area.

"Okay. Can you play Shake it Off?" She asks me, cuddling her toy dog close to her face.

"Of course." I say, turning on the radio system and setting my phone up with the playlist titled "Will's Favourites."

As we drive we sing, Will dances lightly and wiggles her legs around to the beat of the song.

"SHAKE IT OFF!" She sings loudly, making me laugh a little as I reach my hand back to her.

"What a beautiful voice." I tease, tickling her toes and making her squirm.

"Mommy," She laughs, trying to pat my hand away with her other foot only to have me tickle it as well.

"What's the magic rhyme?" I ask, raising an eyebrow through the rear view mirror.

"I'm a belle, a southern belle, a 'Bama belle, a Dixie Belle, now stop your spell!" She chants, my hand freezing when she finishes her rendition. "Oh thank goodness." She sighs, lifting her feet and crossing them on her car seat.

"I love you Will." I say, winking at her through the mirror.

"Love you too mommy," She says in a sing song voice, nodding her head to the rhythm of the new song.

~.~.~

We arrive home around 6:30, Willow happily singing the song that shut off after I cut the ignition.

We get inside and I rest her on the couch, playing some cartoons for her while I get to work on making the soup. I toss some vegetables and noodles into chicken broth, adding a dab of Tabasco, which Willow oddly loves since it makes it spicy. But the minute you offer her a plain piece of fruit she'll refuse to eat the "vile" substance.

"Hey Bug, the soup is ready." I call to the living room, pulling down two bowls and grabbing some spoons as well.

"It smells really yummy." She says, skipping in her step as she walks into the kitchen and looks to the pot on the stove. I turn off the gas burner and reach for the glasses, filling them with cold water and placing them on our places at the island. Just as I grabbed a ladle for the soup the doorbell goes. I drop the spoon by the pot and place a few saltine crackers on Willow's place mat before heading to the door. She munches on the stale crackers when I leave the room.

I open the door and there stood Damon, awkwardly holding his hands in his pockets as he gives a very sad smile at me.

"Hi, uh sorry if this is a bad time. I just wanted to check on her… and you… the both of you…." He trails in his words, furrowing his eyebrows when I do, as if we mirrored each other's actions.

"We're fine, thanks." I say, holding the door and leaning around the knob slightly. "About last week-" I begin to say, hoping he remembers. "Thanks for that."

"No problem. I'm glad I could be of some comfort." He says, eyeing his feet for a moment before looking to me again. "Is she feeling okay? Did everything go well with the surgery?" He asks.

"Yeah, her stitches are gone and she's got another 3 weeks of recovering to do before returning to school."

"Oh… what are you going to do about work?" He asks, furrowing his eyebrows and causing those familiar concerned wrinkles to appear just in the center of his forehead. I submerged the urge to reach up and smoothen them out like I once did.

"I don't know yet. I might have to take my vacation days or something, right now I have another four medical days to use and then I have to go back."

"I'm sure someone could take care of her. How about some of your friends?"

"They all have work, or school of their own to attend." I say, my mind going into confession mode instead of "don't say a thing to him" mode.

"If you need any help, I'm staying at the Boarding House while Stefan goes to Croatia for a month."

"Thanks." I say softly, smiling weakly at him.

"Well, I'm glad you're all good, give Will a hug for me." He shrugs and turns to walk off the porch.

"Wait," I say, he turns on his heel and nods for me to continue. "I just made some soup, Will and I were just about to sit down for dinner. Maybe you'd like to join us? I think she'd really like you, I mean she likes everyone but you may seem funny to her or something… oh gee I'm rambling." I say, licking my lips and shifting my feet around.

"I could go for some soup." He said, our smiles meeting at the same, genuine happiness.

"Come on in." I say, breaking the protection that the house had from him and his vampirism. "Just to let you know, she doesn't know anything about the "magic" world. So no blood." I say, lifting my finger and pointing to the small dab of blood under his ear. He fails to find the location so I lick my thumb and do it myself, clearing away the red mark. He laughs and I do to, removing my hand from his neck and leading him through the hall.

"Hey Will, we have a guest tonight. This is Damon, he's gonna hang out with us for a while." I say, she nods and smiles brightly at him.

"Hello," She waves, grabbing her last saltine cracker and offering it his way. "Want my last cracker? I already had six and I still haven't had my soup!" She exasperates, I giggle as Damon laughs, moving to sit on the free side of Willow and taking the cracker.

"Thank you." He said, resting his elbows on the counter.

"Mommy makes really good soup. And she puts Tabasco cause it makes it spicy." Willow explains as I pour 3 bowls of soup, making sure Damon's was just a bit bigger so then I can watch him suffer through the human food. As a joke of course.

"Here we go." I say, placing the bowls down and quickly admiring the matching eyes that look at me. Identical, that's the only way to describe the blueness of their irises.

"Thanks." Damon smirked, taking his spoon and blowing on the first bite.

"No problem." I smile back, walking to Willow's other side and starting my own bowl of soup.

As we sit I lean back tapping Damon's seat with my toes. He leans back and scowls at me.

"Really?" He mouths as I laugh. "This. Is. Disgusting." He mouths afterwards, I blow him a kiss and offer a quick middle finger before sitting properly again.

"What's so funny?" Willow asks, looking between us.

"I think the giggle monster got me." I admit, tickling her toes with mine, causing her to squeal.

"Real bad." Damon adds, copying what I did and tickling under Willow's arm causing her to burst out into laughter.

"Magic Rhyme, Bug." I remind her, her laughs becoming choppy as she starts her chant.

"I'm a belle, a southern belle, a 'Bama belle, a Dixie Belle, now stop your spell!" We both stop, her laughter persisting afterwards as she catches her breath.

"Meanies." She whispers, starting on her soup again. Damon and I laugh despite ourselves making her giggle as well.

* * *

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**-Valentina**


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